For Immediate Release: Tuesday, January 12, 2021
The Transportation and Environment committee will meet virtually on Wednesday, Jan. 13. Council staff reports and additional information on items scheduled for committee review can be viewed at: http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/COUNCIL/ondemand/index.html.
The committee meeting schedule may change from time to time. The current committee agendas can be viewed at: http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/COUNCIL/ondemand/index.html.
On the guidance of Health Officer and Chief of Public Health Services Dr. Travis Gayles, there is currently no public access to the Council Office Building. The virtual Council meeting will be streamed live on the Council’s web page via YouTube (MoCoCouncilMD) and on Facebook Live (MontgomeryCountyMdCouncil) and can be watched on County Cable Montgomery on channels 30 (Fios), 1056 (RCN) and 996 (Xfinity).
Meeting: Transportation and Environment (T&E) Committee
Time: 1:30 p.m.
T&E Committee: Council President Tom Hucker (Chair) and Councilmembers Evan Glass and Hans Riemer
Topic:
Expedited Bill 36-20, Forest Conservation - Amendments
The T&E Committee will review Expedited Bill 36-20, which would make numerous changes to the County’s forest conservation law. The Montgomery County Planning Board recommends revision to the County's Forest Conservation Law to align it with Maryland's Natural Resources Article. Some of the changes include the following: applying the forest conservation law to two or more platted contiguous lots that collectively total at least 40,000 square feet under certain circumstances; modifying provisions related to the preferred sequence for afforestation and reforestation, forest mitigation banks, and in lieu fees to conform with state law; and exempting agricultural activities from the forest stand delineation and forest conservation requirements only if the property remains as an agricultural use. The bill also proposes to exempt local government highway construction activities from forest stand delineation and forest conservation requirements; requires the approval of a tree save plan for any activity or development that is exempt from the forest stand delineation or forest conservation land requirements if the activity would impact a significant, specimen or champion tree; increase the length of the binding maintenance agreement required in forest conservation plans and alter the variance process, among other changes. Then Council President Sidney Katz is the lead sponsor, at the request of the Planning Board.
The Council staff report can be viewed here.
# # #